Portable steam-generator



W. E. PRO'SSER AND A. E. HIGGINS.

PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1920'.

1,395,973. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Fig-

, S 4 P (E 4 drawings, in which like parts are indicated A'EENT Fries.

WALTER E. PROSSER, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, AND ALBERT E. HIGGINS, 0F

1 BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE STEAM-GENERATOR.

Application filed July 19,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, WALTER E. PROSSER and ALBERT E. HIGGINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Louisville and Buffalo, in the counties of Jefferson and Erie and States of Kentucky and New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Steam-Generators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in portable devices for generating steam intended for use in warming up or thawing out the radiators, engines, etc., of automobiles or stationary interal combustion engines, or for other purposes where it is desired to supply a warming fluid medium, such as steam, for the like or kindred purposes.

More or less trouble is encountered even. in closed city garages with the freezing up of the engines or radiators ofautomobiles, auto trucks, or the like, and this trouble is very largely increased where the vehicles carrying the engine, radiators, or the like are parked in the open in cold climates, and where it is difficult to secure a sufiicient supply of hot water ordinarily used for the thawing out purposes.

Our invention is primarily intended to form a part of a military train, whether of supplies, ordnance, or artillery, but is capable of use for private purposes.

Our invention willbe more fully understood after reference to the accompanying by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the axis of the container, the section being along theline l-1 of Fig. 2, and parts. being shown inelevation; and

Fig. 2 shows a section along the line 2-2 of Fig; 1 and looking down.

A represents a cylindrical container separated by the partition A into a large steam chamber A and a smaller water chamber A Below the raised bottom A of the water chamber is the heating chamber A closed by the hinged door B, hinged as at b and fastening as at b when in the closed position, see Fig. 2. In this chamber A the Specification of Letters Patent.

, in Fig. 2.

sired point.

V Patented Nov. 1, 1921 1920. Serial No. 397,221.

heating coil D is mounted, connected by the is any should be left open as shown in dotted lines I The container A is provided with a suitable bottom A preferably raised slightly above the bottom of the container, and also with a dome-shaped cap A and in this Y cap A a suitable opening, closed by the fillmg plug F, is provided, and through this filling plug the stem 7 of an ordinary air valve may be'mounted, such, for instance, as 1s usedin inflating automobile tires, or the like.

A suitable delivery pipe G for carrying off steam s provided, which may be controlled by, the valve 9, and delivers steam through a suitable flexible hose G to the de- H represents a check valve connecting the chambers A and A? which maybe of the form'pf a flap, or other suitable form of check valve, opening from the chamber A into the chamber A A drain opening may be provided near 7 the bottom of the steam chamber, closed by the plug I, for the-purpose of drawing off any condensed water that may be accumulated therein.

A suitable safety valve K, and a steam gage L, may be provided for the steam chamher if desired. In order to provide for the convenient transportation of the device, we provide a handle M, preferably insulated as at m, from the body of the container so that the handle will not get too hot for convenient use. p I

If desired, suitable heat insulating material, such as felt, or the like may surround the body of the container, but such expedient is well known in the art and may be omitted or added if desired.

To use the device, the water chamber A is partly filled with water, the plug F inserted, and air is pumped in under a'few pounds of pressure, tending to force the water in the tank downward, and also to close the check valve H. The valve 9 being closed, open the door 13, partly open the valve 0' and ignite the burner. Steam will be rapidly generated in the heating coil D and will accumulate in the steam chamber A. A small part of the steam, of course, will be turned into condensed water, but the balance may be drawn off through the hose G to the point of consumption by opening the valve g. When the pressure in the steam chamber A exceeds the air pressure in the Water chamber A the check valve H will open and the pneumatic pressure will become balanced in the system, but the weight of the column of water will cause the liquid to flow continuously through the heating coil as it becomes converted into steam.

After warming up one engine, the apparatus may be moved to another engine by simply closing the door, lifting it by the handles;'or by having the hose long enough, anumber of engines may be warmed consecutively; or there may be a series of delivery nozzles for the steam, each provided with a hose whereby the same apparatus may be simultaneously used to warm up a number of engines.

By having the parts made of light strong metal, such as sheet steel, and having the water chamber comparatively small with regard to the steam chamber, a comparatively light device may be provided, weighing, for instance, approximately sixty (60) pounds, which is highly eflicient for the purposes stated; but which may be readily and conveniently transported from place to place and quickly put into and out of operation. Compressed air may be supplied in any convenient way, as by the ordinary hand pump P used for pumping up the tires of a bicycle or automobile, and we prefer to use compressed air both to cause the water to feed quickly at the start, and to keep the check valve H closed, thereby preventing the water supply from running into the steam chamber should the container be turned on its side in transport, with the water chamber up; but the device may be used without the air pressure if'the check valve H is properly set or controlled.

If desired the burner and hose may be carried separately and only put in place at the time of use. Also the pressure gage L may be made detachable to avoid injury in transportion.

By having the container of cylindrical shape it may be readily and cheaply made, and great strength may be secured for a correspondingly small weight of metal.

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the herein described apparatus and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of our invention; and we do not mean tolimit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim' and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A portable steam generator comprising a cylindrical container provided with a longitudinal partition separating it into a steam chamber on one side of said partition and a heating chamber and a water chamber above the same on the other side of said partition, said Water chamber'being separated from said heating chamber by a transverse partition forming the bottom of said Water chamber and the said heating chamber being provided with a lateral opening through the shell of said container, a heating coil mounted in said heating chamber and opening at its upper end into said steam chamber, a feed pipe for water connecting said water chamber with the lower end of said heating coil, means for controlling the How of water through said feed pipe, means for carrying oii the steam from said steam chamber, and a check valve opening from said steam chamberinto the upper portion of said water chamber.

2. A portable steam'generator comprising a cylindrical container providedwith a longitudlnal partltlon separating it into a steam chamber on one side of said partition and a heating chamber and a Water chamber above the same on the other side of said partition, said water chamber being separated from said heating chamber by a transverse partition forming the bottom of said water chamber and the said heating chamber being provided with a lateral opening through the shell of said container, a heating coil mounted in said heating chamber and opening at its upper end into said steam chamber, a feed ipe for water connecting said water cham er with the lower end of said heating coil, means for controlling the flow of water through said feed pipe, means for carrying off the steam fromsaid steam chamber,

means for supplyingair under pressure to chamber and the said heating chamber being provided with a lateral opening through the shell of said container, a curved door hlnged to said container and closing said opening and forming when closed a continuation of said cylindrical shell, a heating coil mounted in said heating chamber and opening at its upper end into said steam chamber, a feed pipe for water connecting said water chamber with the lower end of said heating coil, means for controlling the flow of water through said feed pipe, means for carrying off the steam from said steam chamber, means for drawing off the condensed water from said steam chamber, and a check valve opening from said steam chamber into the upper portion of said water chamber.

4. A portable steam generator comprising a cylindrical container provided with a longitudinal partition separating it into a steam chamber on one side of said partition and a heating chamber and a water chamber above the same on the other side of said partition, said water chamber being separated from said heating chamber by a trans verse partition forming the bottom of said water chamber and the said heating chamber being provided with a lateral opening through the shell of said container, a curved door hinged t said container and closing said opening and forming when closed a continuation of said cylindrical shell, a heating coil mounted in said heating chamber and opening at its upper end into said steam chamber, a feed pipe for Water connecting said water chamber with the lower end of said heating coil, means for controlling the flow of water through said feed pipe, means for carrying oil" the steam from said steam chamber, means for drawing off the condensed water from said steam chamber, means for supplying air under pressure to the upper portion of said water chamber, and a check valve opening from said steam chamber into the upper portion of said water chamber.

5. A portable steam generator comprising a cylindrical container provided with a longitudinal partition separating it into a steam chamber on one side of said partition and a heating chamber and a water chamber above the same on the other side of said partition, said water chamber being separated from said heating chamber by a transverse partition forming the bottom of said water chamber and the said heating chamber be,-

ing provided with a lateral opening through Y the shell of said container, a handle secured to said cylindrical shell, a heating coil mounted in said heating chamber and opening at its upper end into said steam chamber, a feed pipe for water connecting said water chamber with the lower, end of said heating coil, means for controlling the .fiow of water through said feed pipe, means for carrying off the steam from said" steam chamber, means for drawing ofi the condensed water from said steam chamber, and a check valve opening from said steam chamber into the upper portion of said water chamber.

6. A portable steam generator comprising a cylindrical container provided with a longitudinal partition separating it into a steam chamber on one side of said partition and aheating chamber and awater chamber above the same on the other side of said partition, said water chamber being separated from said heating chamber by a transverse partition forming the bottom of said Water chamber and the said heating chamber being provided with a lateral opening through the shell of said container, a handle secured to said cylindrical shell, a heating coil mounted in said heating chamber and opening at its upper end into said steam chamber, a feed pipe for waterconnecting said water chamber with the lower end of said heating coil, means for controlling the flow of water through said feed pipe, means for carrying off the steam 'from said steam chamber, means for drawing off the con densed water from said steam chamber, means for supplying air under pressure to the upper portion of said water chamber, and a check valve opening from said steam chamber into the upper portion of said water chamber.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa-. tures.

WALTER E. PROSSER. ALBERT E. HIGGINS. 

